WFU in the news: Feb. 12-18, 2024

FEATURED NEWS

Serengeti’s ‘breathtaking’ mammal migration shaped by grazers’ diets
By Elizabeth Pennisi | Science Magazine
Each April, some 200,000 zebras begin their journey 800 kilometers northward through the Serengeti in Tanzania and into Kenya. About 1.3 million wildebeests join the throng, and after nearly 1 month come 400,000 Thomson’s gazelles. The procession is “breathtaking,” said biology professor and savanna ecologist T. Michael Anderson. After watching the herds with camera traps for 8 years, tracking them with GPS, and collecting feces to understand their diets, Anderson and his research team have “unraveled the mysteries of one of most impressive natural spectacles in the world.” – 2/15/2024

The research was featured in science and news outlets worldwide.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Texas, Florida cities have a big inflation problem
By Suzanne Blake | Newsweek
“While there is uncertainty about how effective interest rates are, there is consensus among economists that raising interest rates does lower inflation somewhat,” said Assistant Professor of Economics Aeimit Lakdawala. “However, interest rates are a blunt tool and rising interest rates can have widely varying impacts on households and businesses depending on their financial situation.” – 2/14/2024

The pragmatic steps the United States needs to take in the Red Sea
By Will Walldorf | Stimson
“Protecting principles central to U.S. national security over the long term sometimes requires pragmatism in the short term,” writes politics and international affairs professor Will Walldorf. In short, better to be realistic today in order to protect U.S. national security (including a firm U.S. commitment to open sea lanes) tomorrow. – 2/16/2024

The Kansas City shooting puts a spotlight on the US’ unique gun problem
By Nicole Narea, Li Zhou, Ian Millhiser | Vox
“America is unique in that guns have always been present, there is wide civilian ownership, and the government hasn’t claimed more of a monopoly on them,” said sociology professor David Yamane, who studies American gun culture. – 2/14/2024

TechGuide
techguide.org
Wake Forest University School of Business is ranked #12 in TechGuide’s latest 2024 rankings for the Master’s in Business Analytics. A master’s in business analytics program (also known as an MSBA) helps prepare students for careers in data analysis or data science – making predictions about future processes and trends that could affect business decisions. – 2/18/2024

REGIONAL & TRADE

Michael Fulks makes TBJ’s Class of 40 Under 40
Triad Business Journal
Wake Forest adjunct law professor Michael Fulks was named to Triad Business Journal’s list of 40 under 40. Fulks represents various clients including entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and businesses of all sizes, and teaches a class on entrepreneurship and the law. – 2/15/2024

LOCAL

Cooper pledges to preserve wetlands as state officials estimate 2.5M acres of wetlands at risk of destruction
By Chaewon Chung | Winston-Salem Journal
“The governor’s decision to protect additional landscapes and ecosystems can only help the water quality in North Carolina,” Stan Meiburg, executive director of Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University said. “Wetlands function as the environmental kidneys. They help to cleanse water that comes into these wetlands before it is released further down the stream. – 2/14/2024

Wake Forest medical school gains grant to help Black communities with healthcare access
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been awarded $340,000 from The Duke Endowment to help patients in historically Black communities. The goal is enhancing access and helping people navigate the health systems and social service resources in Forsyth County. The program is a partnership with Forsyth nonprofit Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods. – 2/12/2024

Business Milestones: Awards
Winston-Salem Journal
Assistant Professors of Physics Ajay Ram Srimath Kandada and Stephen M. Winter have each been granted National Science Foundation CAREER awards, which recognize the best and brightest talent in the United States. Together, the two grants total more than $1 million. The five-year grants are awarded to junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through research and education. – 2/18/2024

A memoir and a warning: Liz Cheney tells the story of Jan. 6
Winston-Salem Journal
The most jarring part of Liz Cheney’s book, “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning,” may not be the writing, which is riveting, but the photographs. Cheney, who will speak to a sell-out audience at Wake Forest University on Feb. 22, came of age in that party and eventually held her father’s seat in Congress. – 2/18/2024

WAKE FOREST NEWS

Wake Forest University Celebrates 190th Founders Day
By Kim McGrath | Wake Forest News
Legendary women’s golf coach Dianne Dailey and English professor emeritus Claudia Kairoff were each awarded Wake Forest’s highest honor, the Medallion of Merit, at the University’s Founders Day celebration on February 15. The Medallion of Merit is presented to individuals who have rendered distinguished service to the University, including past presidents, trustees, benefactors, alumni, and retired faculty and administrators. – 2/16/2024

Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente named Vice-Chair of ACC Board of Directors
Wake Forest Athletics
The Atlantic Coast Conference and its Board of Directors have announced that Wake Forest University President Susan R. Wente has assumed the responsibilities of Vice-Chair and will serve in this role through the remainder of the 2023-24 academic year and throughout 2024-25. University of Virginia President James E. Ryan continues his service as Chair of the Board of Directors, a position he will serve in through the 2024-25 academic year. – 2/14/2024